Pasta restaurant Arista will reopen after temporary closure

Arista, the downtown Puyallup restaurant serving handmade pasta, expects to reopen next week after its planned closing this week to repair a drain under the building.

“Last year, we had a drain failure and water went under the building,” said co-owner Ben Herreid. Temporary repairs have kept the area free of water, but a permanent solution required the week-long closure so that the water to the building could be shut off and the drain replaced.

As of now, the restaurant should reopen Feb. 23, but check the restaurant’s Facebook page for updates at facebook.com/aristarestaurant.

Herreid opened Arista in October 2014 in downtown Puyallup. The restaurant, which he co-owns with his sister Margaret, features handmade ravioli and other pastas.

The temporary closure isn’t the only news at Arista.

Ben Herreid is about to embark on a new adventure that will change the hours at his restaurant. In lieu of the daily lunch service he once offered, he’s taking on a new gig — as a farmer.

He’s leased about six acres of farmland in the Puyallup valley with Drew Constant of Rolling Rocks Farm. Their plan is to grow the San Marzano variety of tomatoes, herbs and Tuscan greens. There also will be room for radicchio, cabbage, carrots and whatever produce strikes their fancy.

This is an expansion of the one-acre farm they began experimenting with last year. The plan is to use the produce at Arista, but whatever isn’t used at Arista might be sold at the farmers markets or elsewhere.

“Right now, we’re picking out seeds. We’re still getting winter greens on the acre from last year. But as soon as the weather is appropriate, we’ll start planting early,” he said.

The restaurant will continue to serve dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays. The owners also plan to sell their pastas again during the upcoming farmers market season.

On March 13, Arista will host a farm-to-table dinner to help pay for irrigation for the farm. The $60 meal includes five courses and Washington state wines. Reservations are required. Find more details here.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Pasta restaurant Arista will reopen after temporary closure."